61 Responses

Refs made the calls, Spain and Italy had chances to win the game as did the Koreans on several occasions but blew it.

No, I'm straightforwardly alleging corruption. Other than the fact that the Koreans were allowed to foul at will the Italy game wasn't too obvious until it went to extra time, where Moreno clearly had to choose a side. The Spain game was something else though. In the case of Morientes' goal, I don't accept that a linesman can make that kind of mistake in good faith. It was in stoppage time, the ball was about to be crossed, and up went the flag. Disgraceful. (As was Hiddink's bad faith in that quote, incidentally.)

If France go far in this tournament I wonder if it will get the same reaction. From irish fans maybe :)

The difference there is that it's possible not to see a hand ball (Phoenix game, anyone?). Seeing a ball completely out when it's completely in, and there's nobody obstructing your line of sight, and it's the only thing you have to look at, requires determination.

The flag went up because the ball was deemed to have drifted out over the byline in midair. I disagree and think it was in play (unlike plenty of my European football mates in Korea) and the flag should have stayed down but I can see why his flag went up.

Lee Woon Jae stopped playing though and didn't try to save the header which was certainly saveable.

The corruption stuff is just insulting though. It's easy to throw around when there's no proof either way.

have a look at the replay. The ball was virtually on the byline with the player blocking the linesman from seeing it. I have friends (white ones) who are adament the ball curved out before coming back in.

The worst call that I saw was the offside against the Italian player which would have almost certainly led to the winning goal. But heck, he was dead level and those decisions are messed up all the time given how hard it is to be spot on.

I thought they looked a bit shaky at the back though and against a more lethal side they might need a bit of luck. They can get round the park, control the ball, win the 50/50s and create chances though so Argentina and Nigeria won't be excited about playing them.

The S Korea v Nigeria game may well decide second spot, though the Argies under Maradonna... well anything can and probably will happen.

The corruption stuff is just insulting though. It's easy to throw around when there's no proof either way.

There will never be proof. That doesn't mean there wasn't a crime - I think it was pretty obvious to anybody who knows football. And I'm not saying it's the bad Koreans, either. Italy domestically has a long history of match fixing and referee corruption, and it's never proven until somebody slips up. But you also learn to tell referee mistakes from favouritism. In spite of the Totti sending off and the two disallowed goals for Spain, the most telling aspect of both those games will always be the fouling. The Korean players - as any professional would - quickly worked out that they could get away with feet first lunges and other kinds of murder. That's a major tilt in any game.

The feet first lunges didn't happen, but I'll grant that v Italy they were roughing the Italians up a fair bit, I've seen all those propaganda highlight clips of the games :)

Any mistakes that went the home teams way are no different from the home team calls that you get any weekend anywhere though. Manchester United have been famous in the last few seasons for getting virtually no penalties awarded against them but the c word never gets mentioned.

but anyway, that's enough blabbing on by me. It was 8 years ago and I loved the whole experience of being there amongst it all.

This time I've got too many teams to follow, New Zealand, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, England until they lose on penalties.

The question I am asking myself now is would it be very stupid to stay up to watch Algeria v Slovenia when I have to teach tomorrow morning?

No. One thing doesn't follow from the other, but you know that. And honestly, I'm on record saying after the game vs. Italy that the somewhat rotund ref might have simply lost his capacity to physically keep up with the game in extra time, hence his cool - an unpopular view at the time amongst my compatriots as you can imagine. The Spain game put paid to that theory I think.

The question I am asking myself now is would it be very stupid to stay up to watch Algeria v Slovenia when I have to teach tomorrow morning?

It does look on paper like our worst team of the last twenty years. On paper, we could be embarrassed. Just as well the game is not played on paper. Let's say that I'm eagerly awaiting the opener against Paraguay.

(As for "too much older our players", I don't know, I think Lippi made an obvious effort not to repeat the mistakes of 1986 and left a few veterans at home. Maybe one more than I would have, I'd be happier with Totti in the team. But the end result is that we depend on some of the relative unknowns who make us look weak on paper to become stars. A very big ask.)

This time I've got too many teams to follow, New Zealand, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, England until they lose on penalties.

???Tut tut. I know that rooting for the underdog is a noble endeavour, but really, North Korea? Give me a break. And after yet another sour performance from the Australian thugs, I wont be cheering for them again. And England just dont look potent enough up front.

Well then, I can forgive the empathy for North Korea. I, too, am interested to see how they go. Apparently the team will be feted as heroes when they get home - win or lose. They have a very tough group, too.

The Portugal v Brazil match will be interesting. I notice on YouTube that Portugal is usually involved in the games labelled the "most violent", especially with Brazil - former colony and all that.

Australia's display was shameful - it looks like the game against NZ was a portent of things to come after all.

Trivia: A friend of ours who is a football ref up in Whangarei, (but presently half way round the world)has such a fondness for Crystal Palace Football Team. He has happily added Crystal Palace to the family. His daughter has Crystal Palace as her middle names. Yes, fanatic. :)